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Salazar concedes 3rd CD to Tipton

U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., conceded the election to Republican Scott Tipton this morning.

“I told Scott that my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as he begins the next phase of his journey,” Salazar said in a statement.

“For the last six years I have given my heart and soul to the people of the 3rd Congressional District. I have no regrets and I want to thank my constituents for the honor of representing the most beautiful district in the country,” Salazar said. “After six years of the fighting and bickering in Washington, I’m ready to spend more time with my family. I’ll always be a farmer and rancher at heart. It’s what I was born to do. Now it’s time to pick up my shovel and go back to work.”

A spokesman for Republican Scott Tipton said Tipton and Salazar spoke this morning with Salazar conceding in what Tipton spokesman Sean Walsh called “a cordial conversation.”

Tipton said later that he spoke Salazar, who “expressed confidence in my ability to represent the 3rd CD in Washington. I thanked him for his years of service to our state. We pledged to one another to work together on behalf of all constituents for a smooth transition.”

The Colorado Democratic Party, however, urged that no action be taken as votes remain to be counted, particularly in Pueblo County, a Democratic stronghold.

The Associated Press has called the race for Tiption, 50 to 46 percent, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.